OH MY YOD!!

Yesterday afternoon my friends Josh and Ryan came over to my house to study and begin our first assignment. Margarita made us hot chocolate that was delicious! While we were studying, my host sister, Elisa, was listening to Lady Gaga. As soon as the song "Poker Face" began playing, I ran downstairs to do the zumba dance that goes with it. I couldn't tell if Elisa thought I was funny or crazy, pero, no me importa.

After we studied, my friends left and I went to the kitchen to work on the rest of my homework while Margarita cooked dinner. I noticed something was wrong with Margarita, so I asked her if she was ok. She started crying and drooling and telling me about how she tripped on an animal and fell on the street. It apparently knocked the wind out of her and she was still in pain and short of breath. It was the saddest thing I have ever seen in my life. After she told me what happened, she came over and cried on my shoulder for a few minutes….it was sad and adorable. I really love that tiny woman.

Jorge, my host father, came into the kitchen right as dinner was being served (we still have not had a family meal. I always in dinner at the bar in the kitchen). As we ate and practiced language, I asked Jorge what he does for a living. He grabbed my Spanish/English dictionary and pointed out the word "retired". I understood, but then he started laughing (because he's not really retired) and said "OH MY YOD!", meaning "OH MY GOD!" It was hilarious. I ended up finding out that Sandra, my host mother, works at a biology lab and Jorge is an accountant for the administration…this explains why they are so rich. I then asked if the kids go to school and he said that they go to the university, but its closed. I asked why, so he got up, flipped his sweater over his head so that his face was covered minus his mouth (don't worry…he had a shirt on underneath), and started shaking his fists, yelling, and holding a tupperwear lid like a sign…the university was closed because the students were protesting, but I preferred Jorge's way of saying it.

After dinner, everyone in my family left and it was only 8:30, so I went to a few friend's houses to get them to go out to celebrate surviving our first day of school.

My family has really made me feel at home. I'm just another Mejia. Last night when Sandra came home, Jorge yelled, "YOUR MODER IS HOME!!" It made me happy. I love this family, I just wish I could communicate with them a little bit better. Hopefully I will be able to do this soon after the mental beating I take every day at school. It's not that bad, but it is a TON of information all at once that I am supposed to know by the next day.

Speaking of school, I feel like a little kid walking to PLQ (my school) since I haven't had to get to school on foot since elementary. I really felt like a little kid today because I was walking to school with an upset tummy. I could be from the food or from accidentally using water that is not purified to brush my teeth. Either way, I felt pretty awful and not in the mood to speak Spanish for five straight hours or take a mental beating. I did, however, make it through my lesson, then returned home to eat a small meal and take a nap before coming back to school to work on the mound of homework I have for tomorrow.

Vida

I have realized how ridiculous my addiction to technology is. I don't have internet at my house, so when I have down time I don't know what to do. It's pathetic. Last night I was making this realization and began writing blog ideas, editing pictures, and looking through every program on my computer because I didn't know what to do without the internet. It was then that I rediscovered things like studying, reading books, and just doing nothing. It was weird, but I liked it. It did suck a little to be in a foreign country living with a family that doesn't know you or your language an you have no way of communicating with anyone you know.

I had my first homesick moment last night because I didn't know if I was going to get dinner. After our trek up the hill/mountain (cerro) I was very hungry and very tired. Margarita told me that dinner would be at 7 or 8…at 8:30 I was still waiting for her to begin preparing dinner. I am in a separate area from the house, like a guest house, and I don't know the culture, so I didn't know if it was cool for me to just bust in the house and yell for my host mom. I didn't have much to do in my room, so I just thought about meals with my family and looked at pictures. It was kind of horrible. However, Margarita came pitter pattering down the hall yelling, "Catie?"…they all call me that now…she apologized for being late and sat and talked with me about being homesick for a little bit, then we went into the kitchen. I sat at the bar while she made dinner and talked really fast about things I could barely understand. Then my host mother and father came downstairs and we had a small dinner together in the kitchen (very much like at my home in the states). My host dad is learning English, so we made a pact to help each other on learning the other language. Over dinner my mom, dad, and Margarita discussed my decision not to eat animals that dream…try explaining that you don't like eating animals that work on a higher level of consciousness in Spanish…its hard. 

We decided to agree to disagree on the animal consumption topic and I began telling my dad, Jorge, about my family. After I was done, my new mommy and daddy told me that now I have 4 parents, 2 brothers, 2 sisters, and Margarita. It made me very happy. My mom wants me to have my friends over to study because they really are possibly the most wealthy family in the area and I think she wants to show off the house.

Homesickness? Defeated. 

This morning I told Margarita that I was nervous for my first day of language school, so she prayed for me. It was so sweet and I guess it worked because my first day of class was great! My teacher, Doris, is perfect for me. She is kind of like a mix of my Crazy Aunt Susie and someone else really cool and down to earth. I have realized how much I still have to learn in Spanish, but I am dedicated to studying very hard. I have to write two compositions this week, complete an oral presentation, and take a small exam…good luck, Cassidy. 

Time to study and maybe some soccer.

Mi familia nueva

I love my host family! My family's maid, Margarita, came to pick me up. I'm guessing she is in her 50's. She is indigenous, so she wears the typical clothing of the indigenous people. Margarita loves me and can't stand to be away from me for more than 15 minutes at a time. After talking with her and my host mother, Sandra, and giving them a sign photo of Elvis and Johnny Wilkinson, I came to my room to unpack and settle in. Not 10 minutes later I hear little feet pattering quickly down the hallway. It was Margarita. She had a huge, nearly toothless grin with her arms outstretched and gave me a bear hug while telling me how much she liked me. I asked her if she wanted to see pictures of my family…I've never seen someone so pumped about family photos in my life. She sat so close to me she was practically on my lap and hugged me after just about everything I said. It was adorable. She couldn't understand that my mom and dad were really my parents. 

"No, son demasiado jóvenes," she would say. Meaning they are too young, they can't be your parents. She also got really confused with Carsen's change in style through my pictures. I kept having to explain that I only have one sister and she would flip from one picture of Carsen to the next analyzing the face to see if I was telling the truth or not. 

After picture time she started talking really fast and I only caught parts of what she was saying…something about orphans and trash. We then made my bed and she took me to the roof to see the view. This house is freaking gorgeous! It is three stories and looks like parts are newly remodeled. When I walk in the door, my room is directly on the right. There is a hallway right outside with beautiful birds in bird cages that sing and chirp constantly. At the end of the hallway is a roofless garden on the left and my bathroom on the right. Straight ahead is the door to the main house. the first room is a spacious dinning room with new tiled floors. At the edge of the dining room on the left is a door to the kitchen and on the right are the stairs to the second floor. there are 4 rooms on the second floor, two with televisions. then up the stairs again is the laundry room and the roof with clothes hanging out to dry. If you want to see all of the pictures of the house, then get on Facebook or find someone with a Facebook. It's worth it. You will also want to see the amazing view from the roof…wow. 

After my trip to the roof, I came back to my room to write and study some words I may need to use at lunch. As I sat here I met my host father, Jorge, who lives here and was coming home for lunch. He was very kind and forgiving of my Spanish mistakes. Oh, and I have to go by Cassie because my family can't pronounce Cassidy for their lives. Jorge calls me Casty. I also met my two brothers, Andres and Jorge, and my sister, Elisa. All the kids are around my age. Jorge is the youngest and Elisa and Andres are probably around 23 or 24.

I had lunch with just my mother. The food was fantastic (Margarita is a student at a cooking school) and we talked for about 45 minutes about the US, my family, and school. I made her laugh a lot. I really like her.

After lunch I went with my friends and climbed a mountain, well we hitch hiked part of the way up in the back of a truck. The view was phenomenal! I will post pictures tomorrow.

The feeling I have had this entire trip has been really strange. Ever since I left the US last Monday, I have not been anxious or upset. I have been in a strange state of calm. Everyone was talking about how scared they were for the home stay and I knew I had some worries about communication, but I wasn't scared. It's a feeling like, "I know this is going to happen anyway, so I'm going to be ok with it." I haven't gotten homesick or gone through much culture shock at all. I've never been so go with the flow in my life. It's awesome and I hope it stays this way. I just feel like this is where I'm supposed to be at this point in my life and I'm soaking it up as much as I can.

Tomorrow is my first day of school. I can't wait!

I Got So Much Things to Say Right Now...

I got so much things to say. So, lets start with food.

Two nights ago The Dinner Club (Bri, Natalie, Miguel, and I) ate at a Mediterranean place. It was SO good. Overall, the native Guatemalan food that I have experienced is good, but very bland. The Mediterranean was a different story. We ordered a dinner platter with steak, pork, beef wrapped in grape leaves (all of which I could not eat), chicken, goat cheese, and hummus. It was some of the best tastes I have ever experienced in my life…or so I thought until we went to an Indian restaurant tonight. Holy moley it was scrumptious. I can only hope I will continue to have such amazing food.

We visited the language school, Proyecto Lingüístico Quetzalteco (PLQ), that we will attend for three weeks starting Monday. It is really pretty and will be a great experience, but I will write about it more once I start. Today I go to live with my host family, which is exiting and absolutely terrifying at the same time. I don't know much about them either…so we'll come back to this in a few days.

On Friday the group went out for the first time. It was great. We saw a live band with a good looking bass player. Then, last night, after the Dinner Club plus two dressed up for dinner we went to the opening of a new restaurant called Cafe R.E.D. It is a fair trade establishment that is very cool. There was a live band there as well that sang a song with the chorus "I got so much things to say right now. I got so much things to say"… that doesn't leave your head for days. At R.E.D we had some good conversation, danced, and soaked up the amazing atmosphere.

Also yesterday, we played soccer. It was 5 against 6 and I was on the smaller team. Guess who won a round of drinks (and by that I mean Gatorade or something….)? That's right, my team. And I even made a goal. Playing soccer at 7,700 feet is extremely challenging, but we all made it out alive.

I know this post is kind of boring, but I wanted to update everyone on what's going on here. I promise something more substantial in the next few days. 

Voice of a Mountain

This morning we watched Voice of a Mountain,a documentary on Guatemala, its people, and the hardships they have and continue to face. It effected me more than anything so far on this trip. I strongly encourage you to watch it. 

Fidel

At first glance, Fidel seems like a jolly, loving, and simple man. He constantly smiles and giggles. He thoroughly enjoys listening to others and learning about their lives. When I am around Fidel I can't help but smile. I found out today that this manl is one of the strongest and most amazing individuals I have ever met.

Fidel grew up in a rural, Mayan village in the highlands. His family was so poor that they very often had only a half of a tortilla for a meal. His mother sometimes didn't eat in order to feed her children the bare minimum she could provide. To help with his family, Fidel began working in the cornfields and shepherding the family's few sheep. He found on his own that the manure from the sheep fertilized the soil and made larger and more prosperous corn stalks. So, every morning as a young child, Fidel would wake up between 4 and 5 in the morning, put some manure in his backpack and work in the fields until it was time for school. After school he would come home and do his homework as the watched over the sheep, then start all over the next day.

At the age of 14, Fidel began secondary school. This was the first time in his life that Fidel wore shoes and socks. He said that he didn't even know how to put on the socks and ended up having them on crooked and inside out. Fidel had a very hard time at secondary school. Since he had grown up in an indigenous Mayan home, he only spoke his native language. No Spanish. He had to teach himself Spanish and the other children would tease him and hit him because he was different. Fidel had to work very hard to motivate himself to learn, but succeeded and was given the opportunity to travel to Minnesota for divinity school.

"I said I want to go to Minneapolis because the United States are Paradise. They said that they had all the foods, you know, you could go to the table and grab all the foods you want. It is Paradise. They said that the trees with the fruit, like the fruit trees, just had the fruits that you can pick and just eat. It is Paradise. They said that the monies were thrown in the streets so, you know, you can pick up the monies and have all the monies. It is Paradise."

After divinity school, Fidel returned to his community to teach the people about Jesus Christ to give them the hope that was desperately needed.

This afternoon we did an activity to experience this national poverty for ourselves. We were split into four groups and given one of the following topics; health and medicine, clothing, school and school supplies, and food. We learned that the average Guatemalan receives 50 quetzals (Q) per day, which is the equivalent of $6.25. Each of our groups was given the assignment to go out into the city and find out average prices for each aspect of life and the ability to live off of the minimum wage. 

I was in a group with Soo, Miguel, and Bri. Our topic was health and medicine, so we visited various pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals. We found that respiratory and stomach/intestinal related illnesses are the most prominent ailments in Guatemala. Antibiotics for such illnesses cost Q32-Q83, Pepto Bismol is Q23-Q27, and cough syrup is Q33-Q45. Just one small container of cough syrup can cost an entire day's salary. At the Clinics we found that medical tests range from Q15-Q40 and these test have to be taken to a doctor, which costs Q150-Q180. A hospital visit costs Q200-Q250. Basically, if someone gets sick, there is virtually no way they can get the treatment they need.

The other groups found that to send kids to school and provide them with the necessary supplies would cost Q357 per month for one child (most families have 3 or 4 kids). It costs about Q150 to feed a family of five per day (this is not counting meat). Finally, it costs Q40-Q500 for one article of clothing.

If a family has to spend at least Q50 on one basic need, then how is it possible for them to survive? Such circumstances lead to a life like Fidel's. He had to work as a child, he rarely had enough to eat, and wore clothes that we wouldn't even use as rags with which to clean our houses. 

I'm absolutely humbled by the people in this country.

It's only the second day....

If you have been creeping on my facebook you know that I woke up to the pleasant sound of the Guatemalan National Cathedral and fireworks…a very rude awakening, but the beginning of a very great day.

I began with the largest breakfast I have ever ingested (minus brunches at Nony's). After a small orientation meeting we walked to APROFAM, a youth health clinic. Here we talked about sex, sexual abuse, oppression of women, illegal abortion, and the national ignorance of contraception and safe sex. Here are some stats from Guatemala that shocked me a bit: there are 14,000 teen mothers between the ages of 12 and 19, 70,000 illegal abortions per year, 27,000 of which are induced abortions, it costs 5,000 to 6,000 quetzales ($400) for abortions and those who can't pay often use clothes hangers, parts of a bike or umbrella, or even crochet needles to "interrupt their pregnancy". The scary thing is that the constitution opposes the work of organizations like APROFAM because, according to the constitution, it is the parents' job to educate their children on sex. The lack of conversation and knowledge of sex ends up being harmful for the community through abuse, STDs, unplanned pregnancy, and the fatalities due to each of them.

After that visit we walked to the central plaza and saw the Palace and National Cathedral. There were pigeons, goats, and children everywhere. The goats were laying in the shade as their milk was being sold not 100 yards away. 

After lunch we drove through the city where we saw the rich part of town where rent for an apartment is $1,800 per month and it's common to see expensive cars like Porche, Lexus, and Mercedes Benz. The atmosphere quickly changed as we drove to the city dump. Here we visited a center for children to save them from spending a life working in the dump. In communities around the dump, families live in rundown apartments in trash-filled streets where dogs run free. The smell is overwhelming and you can feel the dirt hitting your body as the wind blows. It is here that countless people spend their lives digging through trash to find materials to sell. The organization we visited educates children and gets them jobs in the city with hopes that they will do something more with their lives and leave the dump behind.

                                                               One of the apartment buildings across from the dump.

From there we drove to Antigua, a beautiful area with a much lower crime rate. Our hotel is gorgeous and even has a polite parrot who likes to repeat "Hola" over and over again.

Our final speaker of the day (I can't tell you his name) really effected me. He went through a lot during the war. His father was tortured, his brothers disappeared, and his sister was killed. This man has every reason to be bitter and angry at the world. However, the war made him even more loving, kind, and determined to spread peace. He explained that there was never a real end to the war. Yeah, the politicians signed a piece of paper that declared peace, rights, and other terms that paint a pretty picture. The reality is quite different. There is still hatred and violence running rampant in this country. He said that in situations, like the one in Guatemala, it is easy to want to blame God and question why He would let such awful things happen, but it is a human problem that humans must solve. The problem, in this situation, is that people aren't able to talk about and express their pain. They keep it all bottled up inside, which can often cause more violence or alcoholism. Such behavior is expected in this culture because the citizens of Guatemala are sons and daughters of war. They don't have the capacity to resolve conflict in a civil and peaceful manner because they have never experienced that, so the pain and suffering continues.

The part that hit me the hardest and kind of rocked my world a little bit was what he said next. He talked about how nonprofits and nonprofit workers from other countries come in and throw money, clothes, or food at the problem, but this isn't what they need. All they need is for someone to really see them, listen to them, and understand their pain…ok, i get it, but my life goal is to have a nonprofit in Central or South America. Is he saying that my dream is invalid? That I have no place here? That I can't provide what the people need? I felt all of a sudden as if the rug had been pulled out from under me. After the lecture I spoke to the man and this is what he told me, "The only resolution to poverty and despair is to open your heart. No matter what situation you find yourself in in the future, you can only do what you are capable of doing. You don't need affirmation from anyone but yourself. Do what you know you are meant to do as long as you do it with happiness and know that your passions are not your own. They come from the universe and all that is around you."….wow….that is a lot to think about and process.

One more thing he said that I loved is that humans are the only animal that have lost their heart. The wealthy think of themselves and forget the poor. They forget their brothers whereas the most wild of animals share their kill, or their food with their fellow species and are conscious of one another…isn't that kind of depressing?

Time to stop now. I need some rest so my brain will slow down for a second.

Guatemala City

Leaving this morning before the sun rose was not fun…but it has been totally worth it. 

It does not seem like this morning that my parents and my sister reenacted the Beverly Hillbillies as I walked through security at the Springfield airport. Every time I looked back at them over the course of five minutes they would begin waving furiously. I pretended to be all cool…even flashed a peace sign, but quickly afterward was crying silently in the bathroom. It had begun to hit me that this was for real. I really will not be home for four months. I like to pretend that it's nothing and will go by quickly, but that's longer than my whole summer…and I don't even remember school.

As I boarded the plane, I took my last gulp of Missouri's delicious humidity and when we took off I covered my face as I looked out the window and mouthed, "goodbye everybody." It was really dramatic.

We arrived in Atlanta shortly after taking off and I ran to my next terminal where I immediately boarded. I was joined on this flight by Natalie, a girl in my program. Our flight took no time at all and the next thing I knew, we were in Guatemala City.

When I peeked out the window and looked over the mountain ridges and unique terrain it finally hit me…I'm going to live in foreign countries for four months…how freaking cool is that? I couldn't help but let a huge grin take over my face.

There were very obvious differences in this country right off the bat. Well, actually, one of the first buildings I saw was a salmon colored version of the Hammon's Tower…seriously. The airport was tucked in among small rusted buildings and hangers with broken down planes. The security at this airport would make security personnel in the US freak out.

Natalie and I made it through the airport, grabbed our luggage, and met up with our instructor, Joe, along with two other program participants. The ride in a VW bus through the streets of Guatemala City was insane. I had a few rear-clinching moments as our driver flew through the tiny streets. We ended safely at La Casa de San Jose, the house where we will be staying tonight. I've already taken pictures of it. Coolest house ever.

Game Plan:

Today we rest and hang out.

Tonight we stay in Guatemala City.

Tomorrow we tour the city a bit, have some orientation time, and travel to Antigua.

Tomorrow night we stay in Antigua.

The following day we travel to Quetzaltenango where we will spend several weeks with our host families.

This week is all orientation. We don't move in with our families until Sunday and no school until Monday.

Man. Time for another nap on this lazy day in my beautiful room with my new friends…I'm so happy!

Ready or Not, Here it Comes....

I'm exactly two weeks out from the greatest adventure of my young life. In all honesty, I have a mix of joy, fear, optimism, anxiety, anticipation, and that I'm-on-a-rollercoaster-and-the-pimply-high-school-kid-that-pushes-the-GO-button-for-minimum-wage-is-looking-the-other-way-so-even-if-I-give-him-the-"thumbs-down"-he-won't-notice-so-I'm-going-whether-I-want-to-or-not feeling. Ya know?

This feeling is most likely caused by the fact that I'm about to head off to a foreign country that is far far from my comfort zone that is nestled in the bosom of the Ozark Mountains. Not to mention I'm going with a complete group of strangers...but I could be completely wrong. It doesn't help that for the past four days I have been battling my very first case of strep throat rather than getting ready for my adventure.

Despite all of this, I know this is going to be the most amazing experience of my life. I have known since I was five years old that I wanted to do nonprofit work. While I know I'm a far cry from Mother Teresa, I hope that this time among those who did not grow up in a white middle class family in the heart of America (North America that is) will change my life along with theirs. I want this experience to foster my own growth and reaffirm my calling. And I know that if I put my mind to it, my semester abroad will do all of the above.

On to matters of housekeeping. I will be in three different countries (Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua) throughout my four months in Central America. I will be in Guatemala from August 23rd until September 25th, El Salvador from September 26th until October 22nd when I will begin my fall break and who knows where I will end up during that time, and I will be in Nicaragua from November 1st until December 11th when I will return home. Since no one uses forms of communication besides snail mail these days I will provide you with my addresses for each country in case you want to write. (Just fyi, that snail mail thing was a joke. I will have facebook, email, skype, and access to a phone)

Guatemala:     c/o Proyecto Linguísico Quetzalteco
                        5a Calle, 2-42, Zona 1
                        Quezaltenango, Quetzaltenengo
                        Guatemala

El Salvador:    c/o Centro de Educación Mundial
                        Apartado Postal 05-181
                        San Salvador, San Salvador
                        El Salvador

Nicaragua:     Centro de Educación Mundial
                        Apartado RP-44
                        Monseñor Lezcano
                        Managua, Nicaragua

Make sure if you do send me mail you keep in mind that I will be in each country a short period of time and mail moves slowly there. Mail that arrives for me after I have continued on to the next country will not be forwarded. Just send them with sufficient anticipation. Also, if for some reason you are sending more than a letter, you should contact me for a different address.

Finally, I will be keeping up with this blog throughout my travels, but I can’t promise that I’ll have a ton of time to spend on making them fun and entertaining…so if that’s what you’re looking for then I suggest you read this blog…it’s always funny.

I will leave you with this little present that was left in the middle of the first city in which I will be residing for a month:

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…Cool! My own hell mouth! If you’re a fellow Buffy fan, then you are as terrified as I am. Where is Spike when you need him?